Although the investigation into Friday's crash is still underway, preliminary results show the truck driver -- Christopher G. Loven, 45, of Boulder County -- was at fault because he failed to yield the right of way, Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Eric Wynn said Monday evening.

A decision has not yet been made whether to charge Loven in connection with the death of Eugene Philip Howrey, 73, of Boulder, Wynn said.

Loven could not be reached for comment Monday.

Howrey, known to family and friends as Phil, was riding with his wife, Sharon, at the time of the accident, his son, Mark Howrey, told AnnArbor.com on Monday.

"It was very shocking and it still is shocking, but he died doing what he loved best, and we're all thankful that it was very quick and painless," Mark Howrey told the website based in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Phil Howrey -- a founding member of the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society -- lived until a few years ago.

'Two separate incidents'

The Camera reported in 2009 that Loven was ticketed on suspicion of reckless endangerment after a cyclist said Loven used his truck to push him into oncoming traffic near Lee Hill Drive and Olde Stage Road. A witness confirmed the cyclist's account.

Court records show Loven pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation and community service in that case, which exacerbated tensions between bicyclists and drivers in Boulder County.

Eugene Philip Howrey (Courtesy photo)

Wynn said investigators will use evidence only from Friday's crash in making a determination of fault.

"These are two separate incidents," Wynn said Monday. "You can't hold someone accountable in one case for something that happened in another case."

Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett said investigators typically consult with prosecutors about charges in accidents that result in death or serious injury, but his office hadn't spoken with anyone yet about Friday's accident.

Swerved to avoid truck

According to an accident report, Loven was driving a Kenworth W900 dump truck hauling a trailer with construction equipment west on Lefthand Canyon Drive when he turned left to go south on Olde Stage Road a little after noon on Friday, Wynn said.

The cyclist, Howrey, was heading east on Lefthand Canyon, Wynn said.

Howrey swerved to the right to try to avoid the truck, Wynn said, but the right side of the truck struck the left side of the bicycle. Howrey was thrown about 36 feet. He suffered fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene.

Wynn said neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected in the accident, and he was not sure how long the investigation will take.

'Safest rider'

Mark Howrey told AnnArbor.comthat the accident was all the more shocking because his dad -- an avid cyclist who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident -- was extremely safety conscious.

"I remember as a kid we always had to wear helmets even when no one else was," Mark Howrey said.

Frank Lamitola, a member of the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society, who went on many rides with Howrey during the years, seconded that.

"He was the safest rider I've ever ridden with," he toldAnnArbor.com. "We rode tandem together quite a bit. He was constantly scanning the area and checking the intersections. He knew exactly how to handle a tandem."

Phil Howrey's wife, Sharon, declined to comment when reached over the weekend.

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